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An Olympics has never been hosted in the same city twice in a row, and the IOC has a policy of never holding games in the same country again before 12 years. IIRC, these rules are applies separately to the summer and winter games, but are consistently within the sequence of summer games, and consistent within the sequence of winter games.

How about Salt Lake City, which already hosted in 2002? Salt Lake is a very left-leaning city with an enormous gay community, and was even one of the Advocate’s annual picks for gayest cities in the U.S. And, switching to Salt Lake because Russia was too anti-gay might only intensify the focus on LGBT rights here in Utah, which really, really needs that kind of attention because it’s not nearly as gay-friendly outside Salt Lake or the ski resorts.

It’s time for the IOC to clean up its own checkered past and tell Russia that it must pass legislation suspending the anti-gay laws during the Olympics, or the IOC will withdraw the 2012 Winter Games from Russia.

Agree with the IOC to clean up its act, but gee, not comfortable about suspending anti-gay laws just to allow a sports carnival. The laws should be revoked or the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi do not proceed.

A look at his profile on the Olympics webpage doesn’t say much other than what he’s already done, but my guess is that Gerhard Heiberg will be retiring from the IOC before Sochi takes place, meaning he can say whatever people want to hear about the issue knowing he will never be in a position in which he will be expected to follow through with his words.

We are missing the point here again and again ! The reading of the Olympic charter is completely irrelevant, because Russian authorities and their anti-gay laws do not prohibit homosexuals from competing in Sochi. I can just hear them claiming again how gay athlets are welcome in Sochi provided they don’t engage in acts which could be considered as gay propaganda. So this is not the primary issue. The real issue is when so called civilised world doesn’t see a problem when the olympics are hosted in a country which is more than evident violator of basic human rights (not just gay rights) !!

The point is they would move the Olympics if they were to ban people competing while obviously black, or obviously female but, obviously gay Oh! no, that is a natural innate characteristic that you may not express in any form what so ever! So when you win your medal do not enthusiastically hug or kiss your spouce full on the lips or hold hands around the olympic park or express affection all too obviously just as your straight compatriots are doing.
Not allowed to just be human.
Thats the problem.

It is about big business and even bigger money. Many sports appear to have been taken over and corrupted by mafia-style billionaires (usually Russians and Arabs). Corrupt and barbaric nations buy their way into holding the most prestigious events (even Olympic Games, e.g. Beijing!) to ‘showcase’ themselves. Sports governing bodies and the IOC give into the lure of that money. The athletes look the other way – they are mired in their own scandal of performance-enhancing drugs. Nothing is ever done about it. Governments and the media appear to be complicit.

The IOC, sports governing bodies, complicit sponsors, Governments and participants are all enablers of the barbaric treatment faced by the LGBT community and other minority communities across the world.

The IOC has, apparently, now confirmed that they will punish any participant who performs any “political” act. Basically, the IOC has now stated that they will punish any athletes who do what Stephen Fry has suggested – ironically stripping all international athletes of their right of free expression.

If that report is indeed true, the IOC has now made it clear that athletes are to remain silent and perform no acts of solidarity regarding the LGBT issue.

I wonder how many athletes will now boycott? Answer; none, because they all seem to be self-serving and spineless, more interested in their own selfish glory than Human rights.

It is such an unfortunate situation for both gays and athletes. The athletes have trained long and hard so justifying a boycott for something they have no control over is harsh, but likewise the games should not be a platform for a nation to sustain anti-humanitarian laws. Perhaps a solution would be to boycott the opening and closing ceremonies – that way the athletes can do what they have trained so hard for, but all the while taking away some of the prestige for the Russians.

… and why not just simply stage them elsewhere? Athletes would still compete. The Russian authorities have made it VERY plain today that anyone deemed to be ‘promoting’ homosexuality will be arrested. What will constitute ‘promotion’? The way someone walks … the clothes they wear? Is it worth subjecting people to the vile, irrational discriminatory nature of Russia’s backwardness? The ONLY way to show Russia how the civilised world feels … and to protect visitors from possible arrest …. is to MOVE THE GAMES!!!!

This is IOC windowdressing. I don’t believe there is going to be any serious attempt made to move the Games to a safer, more humane venue. The Russians are playing bare-knuckle politics and know they have the upper hand with the IOC. But the ongoing and ever-increasing outrage over Russia’s anti-propaganda law can do damage to the IOC’s reputation and cast a large shadow over the Games of 2014. They would do well to think about that outcome.

The most powerful message the civilised world could send is to move the games away from Russia. The positive publicity of such action would have an instant impact on newly-homophobic nations in, for instance, Africa. Homosexuality is becoming what Hitler branded ‘the Jewish problem’ in pre-WW2 Germany. We skip over and treat lightly this current mood of vile discrimination at our peril. The IOC and the UN should be making a VERY clear statement that discrimination – OF ANY KIND – is totally unnaceptable and WILL result in expulsion.

New protest song re-written for Toronto’s “Day of Solidarity 2013” as performed by the singing group, “Choir Choir Choir” with a re-imagined version of Sting’s 1986 song “Russians” as performed at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Listen or download this powerful “Russian Protest” song with a message directed at Russian President Putin, including, “We can’t sit quietly and ignore your political threats … we don’t believe your lies!”

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